Women cricketers express excitement ahead of WPL auction

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Women's Premier League (WPL) auction, women's cricketers across the world have expressed their excitement for the same, with India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur calling it a "game-changer" and batter Jemimah Rodrigues saying that the national side will gain a lot of confidence and go to next level after playing WPL.

The auction for the inaugural edition of WPL will take place on Monday. "I think it is going to be a game-changer, not only for India but for the world as well. We are excited about it," said Harmanpreet in a video posted by BCCI. Jemimah also said, "I think it is going to be a starting point for something massive in women's cricket worldwide. There are going to be exciting talents and matches. These will give us a lot of confidence. Doing well here and then wearing the Indian jersey will take our team to next level."

Indian opener Smriti Mandhana said that it is a big moment for women's cricket.

"I always watched men's IPL and auction and I am really excited that how it will unfold. Hope it goes well, all teams are well-balanced and I get a good team," added the opener.

Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma said that playing with and against some of the best players in the world will be very beneficial for women's cricket, while batter Shafali Verma feels that it is "good for domestic players." Some England stars are also excited for the auction. Katherine Sciver Brunt said that it is going to be "the next big thing".

"This seems like a very big move forward," added Katherine.

Nat Sciver Brunt also said that she is excited about the auction and WPL as well. All-rounder Danni Wyatt said that women's cricket was waiting for this moment for years.

"It is finally here. These are some exciting times for us and we cannot wait," added Wyatt.

England all-rounder Alice Capsey said that women's cricket has gone from strength to strength over the years, with the U19 T20 World Cup recently being a huge success.

"This (WPL) is going to expand the game even more. It has come at a perfect time. Looking forward to getting picked and playing in India in front of those big crowds," added Capsey.

The inaugural edition of WPL will be played in Mumbai from March 4 to 26 across two Mumbai venues and the player auction for the same will be held on February 13.

The Lucknow-based team was bought by Capri for INR 757 crore at the auction on January 25.

A total of 409 players will go under the hammer during the auction of the inaugural edition of Women's Premier League (WPL), which will be taking place on February 13, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Tuesday.

A total of 1,525 players registered for the inaugural Women's Premier League Player Auction and the final list was pruned to 409 players. Out of 409 players, 246 are Indians and 163 are overseas players of which 8 players are from associate nations.

The total capped players are 202, uncapped players are 199 and 8 are from associate nations.

A maximum of 90 slots are available with the five teams, with 30 being slotted for overseas players. Rs 50 lakh is the highest reserve price with 24 players choosing to be slotted in the highest bracket.

Team India Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma and India's Under-19 T20 World Cup-winning captain Shafali Verma are among the few Indians who have slotted themselves in the highest bracket.

13 overseas players have also slotted themselves under the Rs 50 lakh reserve price with the likes of Ellyse Perry, Sophie Ecclestone, Sophie Devine & Deandra Dottin to name a few.

30 players are on the auction list with a base price of Rs 40 Lakh. The Auction will start at 14:30 IST.

The five franchises were acquired by the owners of the three IPL teams--Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Delhi Capitals--along with Adani Group and Capri Global for a total of INR 4669.99 crore (about USD 572.78 million).

This represents the largest deal ever made in women's cricket. The successful bidders were announced on January 25.